Filter Results

To use course filters, please download a newer web browser such as Internet Explorer 9+, Firefox, Safari, or Chrome and ensure Javascript is enabled.

Role

All Audiences

Managers Only

Category

Computer Applications

Workplace Skills

Leadership Management

University Business Processes

Managing Your Career

FASIS

Performance Excellence

Regulatory Compliance

Quarter

Fall

Winter

Spring

Summer

Campus

Evanston

Chicago

Online

Course Listing

Search for a workshop or enrichment opportunity by selecting your desired campus, quarter, category, or intended audience in the lefthand column. A list of relevant courses will display below. Click on the course title to view general information about the course.

Please note that not all courses are offered year-round. To find the next session for your desired course, click on the "Find Upcoming Sessions" link at the end of the description. You can also view a schedule of upcoming classes in our spring catalog or our online calendar in PlanIt Purple.

Results

HRD700- Introduction to University Business Processes (Online)

Introduction to University Business Processes is an online module that explores Northwestern’s business environment and framework for compliance, while identifying key University business terms, systems, departments and policies. It is recommended that employees view this online module before viewing additional business process modules.

Process Maps

The following Process Maps were created as a learning tool as part of Purchasing and Payments, but have come to be a more broadly used on-the-job tool for day-to-day assistance with purchasing and payments processes.

These Process Maps follow the same procurement process that is explored in the online module.

HRD835- Writing an Effective Resume

Having a great resume is an important piece of your overall career development and personal branding strategy. Unfortunately, many people get overwhelmed before they even get started. The result is poorly written resumes that don't get much attention or serve their purpose. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to create an effective resume or improve the one you already have.

Key topics:

Exploring different resume formats and the advantages and disadvantages of each

Writing an effective objective

Determining what work experience to include

Writing qualitative accomplishments

Composing an engaging and informative cover letter

Workshop facilitator Mark Gasche joined Kellogg in January 2014 as Managing Director of the Career Management Center and has more than 22 years of career management, coaching, campus recruiting, and student affairs leadership experience from multiple academic institutions.

HRD845- Interviewing for Success

Your resume showed that you possess the competencies and desired skills for the position you applied for at Northwestern, now it’s time for the interview. An interview gives the prospective manager/director the opportunity to speak with you and determine the degree to which your skills and experiences match the requirements for the open position. The process also gives you a chance to determine if this new position will align with your goals and needs. This workshop will clarify the interview process and help you feel more prepared by discussing common expectations of the interviewee and the process.

Key topics:

Conducting organization/departmental research

The first impression and what to bring

Types of interviews and what to expect in each

How to respond to different types of interview questions

Interview follow-up

Workshop facilitator Mark Gasche joined Kellogg in January 2014 as Managing Director of the Career Management Center and has more than 22 years of career management, coaching, campus recruiting, and student affairs leadership experience from multiple academic institutions.

HRD875- Managing Your Career

This workshop was formerly known as Career Challenge™ and Leveraging Your Career Drivers™ for Development Planning.

This interactive, one-day workshop offers you the opportunity to take a concentrated look at how to make your career development relevant to your current job and use it to propel you in the right direction as you grow at Northwestern.

Managing Your Career begins with a pre-workshop assessment called Career Drivers™. Career Drivers™ define the motivational aspects of work life — your absolute non-negotiables for satisfaction. Knowing your own Career Drivers™ allows you to make wise, empowered choices in your ongoing development and long-term career moves. The online Career Drivers™ assessment will be sent to you in advance.

You will then attend the workshop to:

Discover the talents common to everything you’ve accomplished

Have a new way to leverage development for current work performance and future goals

Learn how to create development goals that are engaging for you and accomplish department goals

Upgrade your ability to communicate your value and not just your needs

Learn important strategies for identifying career directions, growing your networks and positioning yourself for future career success

Participants must complete the Career Drivers™ online assessment before attending the Managing Your Career workshop.

HRD117- Access 2013: Building a Database

This two-day workshop is designed for both those who wish to create a database from scratch and to make design changes to an existing database.

Day 1 Objectives

2010 Environment

Become comfortable in the new Access 2013 environment of Tabs & Ribbons

Database Design & Relationships

Define a structured purpose, scope, and objectives for the database

Learn data-gathering techniques that enable quicker starts, clarify the types if information needed from the database, and help in naming fields, grouping them into tables, and relating tables to each other

Consolidate data into user friendly critical content areas

Understand and implement three types of table relationships (one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many) and eliminate weak relationships with a junction table

Apply normalization tests to evaluate the integrity of the database design

HRD127- Access 2013: Advanced

This workshop is designed for those who have a strong, functioning database and wish to add some advanced features.

Prerequisite: Access 2013: Building a Database or equivalent experience/skills. If you have not completed Access 2013: Building a Database, please contact the Learning & Organization Development team to verify equivalent experience/skills.

Key Points

Create advanced forms and reports

Add a calculated field to a report or form

Modify data with Action queries

Create a Make Table Query

Import/Export Data from/to Excel

Create single and multi-field parameter queries

Use Database Documenter

Time allowed for discussion of issues you may have with current database and how to resolve

HRD159- Excel 2013: Beyond the Basics

This full-day workshop is ideal for self-taught users of Microsoft Excel who would like to fill in the gaps in their know-how as well as learn time-saving tips and tricks. Techniques to produce reliable Excel workbooks are covered, including how to display, format, edit existing worksheets and develop new ones plus how to make the most of Excel by creating formulas to analyze data quickly.

Key Points

Quick tour of the Excel 2013 environment

Enter and edit labels, values, and formulas in a worksheet

Use Autofil to quickly fill in predefined labels and to copy text, numbers and formulas

Move and copy data, insert and delete ranges, and work with relative and absolute references when creating and copying formulas

Understand function syntax and use functions such as SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, MAX, and COUNT to perform calculations in a worksheet

Format text, numbers, rows, and columns in a worksheet to make them more prominent and easier to read

Preview, control Page Setup options for, and print worksheets and set and clear a print area

HRD167- Excel 2013: Advanced Functions

Participants learn to use Excel's built-in computational and analytical tools to make complex calculations quickly and easily. Learn tips and tricks from the expert to make your spreadsheets efficient in the 2013 environment.

HRD178- Excel 2013: Charts and Dashboards

This workshop provides the techniques needed for mastering Excel's charting capabilities and working with multiple workbooks to illustrate data, relationships, and trends. Participants learn to quickly transform hard-to-read numbers from a table or spreadsheet into professional-looking charts, to update several worksheets at once using 3-D formulas, and to effectively manage large workbooks with multiple worksheets.

Prerequisite: Excel 2013: Beyond the Basics or equivalent experience/skills. If you have not completed Excel 2013: Beyond the Basics, please contact the Learning & Organization Development team to verify equivalent experience/skills.

HRD188- Excel 2013: Sorting, Filtering, Subtotals, Pivot Tables

This workshop provides the techniques for mastering some of Microsoft Excel's data-management and analysis features. Participants learn to create a list in Excel to keep track of related data. After a list is created, it is easy to find, organize, and analyze its information with Excel's rich set of list-management features. Feel free to bring your own files to practice with.

Key Points

Create a structured list to maximize current and future data productivity

Format as a Table - new list capabilities

Sort a list using several techniques

Add subtotals to worksheets without writing any formulas

Use the AutoFilter to display only the records that meet one's criteria

Examine the new filtering options for Dates and Numbers

Create a powerful and flexible custom filter

Create Pivot tables and Pivot Charts to summarize a data list

Protect a workbook by enabling a password and locking cells to prevent unauthorized changes

HRD205- Acrobat XI

This workshop provides the knowledge and skills needed to use Adobe Acrobat effectively. Participants learn how to create, modify, and distribute PDF (Portable Document Format) files and fill-in forms. Feel free to bring a project to work on.

Key Points

Become familiar in the Acrobat environment by using tools and palettes

Page through a PDF document using Acrobat's built-in navigational controls

Create and edit links to different areas within a document

Create a form for distribution and learn how to collect the results in an Excel file

HRD208- InDesign: Level 1

This course will explore the core features and functions of InDesign. You will learn how to create and edit different types of publications, arrange text and graphics, work with master pages. You will also learn how to flow text across text boxes, create a facing-pages layout, and prepare publications for printing. Feel free to bring a project to work on in class.

HRD209- InDesign: Level 2

This course will explore advanced features and functions of InDesign and pick up where the InDesign: Level 1 workshop ended. You will learn how to work with large publications, involving multiple masters, page numbering, and table of contents. We will work with a 4-page newsletter project and a book project during class. Feel free to bring a project or text files to work with in class.

Prerequisite: HRD208: InDesign Level 1 or equivalent experience/skills. If you have not completed HRD208: InDesign Level 1, please contact the Learning & Organization Development team to verify equivalent experience/skills.

HRD211- Photoshop: Level 1

This workshop explains how to use Photoshop to optimize images. Participants work with digital or scanned images and save them as PSDs, PNGs, JPGs and GIFs - formats that are widely used in printing and web-based environments. Feel free to bring your own files to practice with.

Prerequisite: Intermediate computer skills.

Key Points

Get to know the Photoshop environment by using tools and palettes

Resize and crop images

Optimize and adjust the resolution of images based on the output medium, such as Web or print

HRD216- Illustrator: Level 1

This course explores the core features and functions of Illustrator. You will learn how to create and edit different types of graphics elements to print or export for use in other applications. Feel free to bring a project idea to work towards in class. Proficient level of computer skills required.

HRD217- OneNote

Microsoft OneNote 2013 gives you the ideal place to store and share your information in a single, easy-to-access location. Learn how to organize all your notes about a project in one easy to search notebook.

HRD222- Publisher

In this course you will learn the core features and functions of Publisher. You will learn how to create and edit publications, arrange text and graphics, work with master pages, and create and format tables. You will also learn how to flow text across text boxes, create a facing-pages layout, and prepare publications for printing. Feel free to bring a project to work on in class.

Key Points

Explore the publication templates available

Navigate in a Publisher publication document and explore the Publisher environment

HRD223- Illustrator: Level 2

This workshop explores additional features available in Illustrator building on the knowledge from the Level 1 course. Together we will work through more complex projects and explore how to choose colors that complement each other.

HRD223- Lync

Learn to use the Microsoft Lync program to communicate with co-workers via instant message, voice or video conferencing. In this workshop, you will learn how to create a contact list, set your presence indicator, and see how Lync interacts with Microsoft Outlook. Plus learn how to share your desktop or program with others or set-up an online meeting.

HRD232- Visio 2013

In this course you will learn the fundamentals of working with the most common applications of Visio 2013. You will create five types of diagrams: a direction map, workflow chart, cross-functional flowchart, an organization chart and a floor plan. By using multitudes of templates and stencils, you will get a broad understand of creating graphics or drawing in this powerful, yet user-friendly application. Feel free to bring a project to work on in class.

Key Points

Explore the various templates available for creating a Visio document

Navigate in a Visio document and explore the Visio environment

Drag shapes from Visio stencils, then resize, rotate, align and transform them

HRD235- SharePoint

This class is designed for those new to SharePoint. In this workshop, participants will explore basic navigation and learn how to add new information to SharePoint in a training environment (not live, departmental sites).

HRD252- Dreamweaver

This workshop introduces the fundamentals of creating and maintaining a web page with Macromedia Dreamweaver, a tool requiring no programming knowledge. Participants examine the three main steps in the web publishing process: plan content and design; create a web site; and transfer files to the web.

Special Note: All Dreamweaver classes are held in a Windows lab. However, the concepts are platform independent. Mac users are encouraged to sign up as long as they are comfortable working in a Windows environment or would like to bring their own Mac laptop.

Key Points

Become familiar with basic HTML and Internet concepts

Plan and define a site

Create, save, edit, and set properties for documents

Build a table structure for text and image placement

Add, delete, format, and import text and images

Create basic CSS styles

Add hyperlinks, named anchors, and e-mail links to text and graphics

Discuss maintaining a site with updates, deletions, and other modifications

HRD271- Dreamweaver: Newsletters

This workshop will teach you how to use Dreamweaver to write the HTML needed to create email newsletters. Learn how to incorporate links and images and how it differs from creating a web page.

Prerequisite: HRD252: Dreamweaver or equivalent experience/skills. If you have not completed HRD252: Dreamweaver, please contact the Learning & Organization Development team to verify equivalent experience/skills.

Key Points

HRD317- Word 2013: Mail Merge

This workshop provides the techniques to master one of Microsoft Office's greatest features for automating routine and time-consuming tasks. Participants learn step by step to use Word's Mail Merge feature in conjunction with data sources such as Microsoft Excel and Access files to create letters, envelopes, and labels for mass mailings. Feel free to bring your own files to practice with.

Key Points

Create form letters, labels, envelopes and lists

Discuss broadcast emails using Outlook contacts as your data source

Attach different data sources, such as Excel, Access and Word tables

Understand how different data sources required a different method of inserting the field placeholders

Get to know your suite of collaboration tools that come with your Northwestern Collaboration Services account. Get loads of tips and tricks to help manage the Outlook Web App, calendaring, Lync and unified messaging.

HRD332- Outlook 2013

Learn how calendaring works in Outlook! This class covers ALL aspects of Outlook 2013 for Windows - mail, contacts, calendar, and tasks. It is ideal for those who are new to the Outlook environment or wish to use Outlook more effectively. Learn best practices for organizing your time commitments, scheduling meetings with others, and blocking time to accomplish your work thereby reducing stress and work overload. Loads of tips and tricks to help manage your email & calendar more effectively.

HRD346- Transitioning to Office 2013

Learn what's new in Word, Excel and PowerPoint 2013. Some very cool intermediate to advanced features have been added, while other common features have been renamed and moved. This class is for users wanting to know the difference or needing assistance to find “where they put it.” Need more basic training or learning at a slower pace? Sign up for Office 2013 Fundamentals or contact us at workplace-learning@northwestern.edu for one-on-one coaching. Need to focus on just one program? Try the Beyond the Basics level of that application.

Key Points

Tour of the three Office Suite 2013 environments

Learn what’s been added, changed and removed from these new versions

Learn to navigate and customize the Tabs and Ribbons

Add your favorite commands to the Quick Access Toolbar

Plenty of time to answer your specific questions or cover any additional 2013 applications if desired

HRD366- PowerPoint 2013: Introduction

This full-day workshop provides the techniques to turn ideas into professional presentations. Learn the foundations and technical aspects of Microsoft PowerPoint to create electronic slideshows. Feel free to bring your own ideas and images to incorporate in the final class project.

Key Points

Explore the PowerPoint 2013 environment

Learn elements of a good presentation

Create, edit and save a new presentation

Manipulate slides- layout, add, move, and delete

Work in various views: Normal, Slide Sorter, Outline, Notes, and Slide Show

HRD412- Word 2013: Beyond the Basics

A complete guided tour of Microsoft Word's best features, this workshop is ideal for self-taught Word users who would like to hone their skills and improve their efficiency. It covers how to display, format, and edit existing documents and create new ones. Participants learn all the techniques necessary to produce professional-looking word processing documents.

HRD413- Word 2013: Editing, Reviewing, Formatting

This advanced-level workshop is for those who work with long reports, lengthy research papers, and documents requiring multiple revisions.

Prerequisite: Word 2013: Beyond the Basics or equivalent experience/skills. If you have not completed Word 2013: Beyond the Basics, please contact the Learning & Organization Development team to verify equivalent experience/skills.

HRD427- Office 2013 for Power Users

This workshop is designed for Office power users that need to harness the power of using the Office applications together -- whether it is to link an Excel Chart in PowerPoint or Word; bring a PowerPoint Presentation in Word and format for an instructor/speaker manual; or bring in items built in any other applications.

Prerequisites: Word/Excel and PowerPoint 2013 Beyond the Basics or equivalent experience/skills. If you have not completed Word/Excel and PowerPoint 2013 Beyond the Basics, please contact the Learning & Organization Development team to verify equivalent experience/skills.

Key Points

Link between Office applications

Publish a presentation to Word and format for an instructor/speaker or student manual

HRD447- PowerPoint 2013: Advanced

PowerPoint can be used for much more than just to replace “transparencies” for stand-up presentations. This full-day workshop builds upon the lessons learned in the Fundamentals class. Examples on how best to convey your messages depending on the audience and location, focusing on streamlining information for impact without losing anything important. Plus, learn how to take that presentation/course and create handouts for students and a manual for the presenter/instructor. Feel free to bring your own ideas and images to incorporate in the final class project.

Prerequisite: PowerPoint 2013: Introduction or equivalent experience/skills. If you have not completed PowerPoint 2013: Introduction, please contact the Learning & Organization Development team to verify equivalent experience/skills.

Key Points

What makes a GREAT stand-up presentation

Build a presentation in Wide-Screen format with Hi-Resolution

Custom Animation with Motion paths

Edit existing and create new Slide Masters

Using PowerPoint on a stand-alone kiosk or to create a course for the classroom

Use Multiple Masters for a long presentation or course

Create custom layouts and templates to use in the future with your customs theme

Create different handout types and instructor's coordinating manual

Insert multimedia and learn the pitfalls when transferring to another computer

HRP003: E-Verify/Electronic I-9 Training

Form I-9 Section 2 Processor's Training is available for anyone who signs off on I-9s for a department or center. This includes department administrators, program assistants, hiring managers, or anyone else that assists in the hiring process.

HRS101: FASIS Lookup Training

Description: FASIS Lookup Training is the first training course required for any employee needing access to administrative HR/Payroll data. This course introduces users to common HR data and codes, covers security policies related to accessing HR data, and provides a hands-on demonstration of the most commonly used pages in the FASIS Administration system. Users who have submitted the required authorization form (see below) and have been approved for access will receive their own system login at the conclusion of this training course.

Who should take this course? Any employee that will require access to Human Resources or Payroll data/reports as part of their job responsibilities.

HRS104: Query Development

Description: The Query Development class is intended for those who are familiar with FASIS data and are ready to start creating their own queries. The course will be comprised of two 2.5-hour sessions, scheduled one week apart:

Day 1:

Introduction to querying,

Query best practices,

Common query tables,

FASIS codes and common criteria, and

Creating simple (one-table) queries.

Day 2:

Additional query tables,

Multi-table inner and outer joins,

Implications of joins and join criteria, and

Building common multi-table queries.

Attendance at both days is required to complete the course and maintain query access.

Who should take this course? Existing FASIS Admin users who have used the system regularly and are comfortable with FASIS data, codes, and system pages. Those who have not reached this level of familiarity, but need immediate access to run queries, should take HRS106 in the interim.

Pre-Requisite: HRS101; familiarity with FASIS data

Access: Access to the Query Development should be indicated on the mainFASIS Security Formwhen submitted for the HRS101 training.

HRS105: Advanced Query Development

Description: This class is intended for users proficient in creating multiple-join queries and will discuss the following advanced options: advanced criteria, non-standard joins, prompts, subqueries, and using Oracle SQL expressions. This training will be conducted as a demonstration and discussion; hand-on system work will not be included. (Note-taking recommended!)

Who should take this course? Any existing FASIS Admin user who is proficient in creating their own multiple-join queries but would like to learn more advanced functionality to extend their query skills.

Pre-Requisites: HRS101, HRS104, and a high level of proficiency creating queries

HRS106: Running Public Queries

Description: This brief demonstration is conducted online and provides users with information about existing public query reports that may be run in FASIS. An overview of some of the common reports will be provided, and users will gain access to run these reports following completion of the training.

Who should take this course? Any existing FASIS Admin user that needs access to run existing public queries. This course is intended for those that do not need to take the full HRS104 Query Development class, or those that need immediate access to run queries but are not yet ready to take the HRS104 training.

HRS121: Staff eRecruit

FASIS Staff eRecruit enables users to create, modify, and administer staff job openings and applicants for those openings. Data Enterers will learn how to complete and submit a job for publication, while Hiring Managers will learn details about reviewing and responding to applicants using the eRecruit system.

Access: No security form is required for access to Staff eRecruit. After attending this class, your access must be approved by the Human Resources Staffing Consultant for your department.

HRS122: eDevelopment

The FASIS eDevelopment module provides users a means to administer University training and development programs. Courses set up through eDevelopment are displayed in the Self Service Portal "Learning and Development" site, through which employees across the University can enroll. eDevelopment provides course scheduling, enrollment tracking, and waitlist management accessible to course administrators and instuctors.

HRS201 / HRS203: Salary Planning

HRS201, HRS202, and HRS203 are annual demonstrations that review the functionality of the FASIS Salary Planning pages that administrators use to complete the annual Salary Planning process. Access to Salary Planning is provided only to those administrators responsible for entering end-of-year merit increases and budgeted salary information.

Pre-Requisite: HRS101

Access: Access to the salary planning pages will only be granted to individuals at the request of a school administrator.

HRS301 / HRS302: Kronos Time System

Northwestern utilizes the Kronos time system across campus for reporting the hours and leave time of biweekly employees and recording the leave time for monthly employees. These brief demonstrations will cover all facets of the Kronos time system for employee entry and supervisor approval.

HRS301 is a 30-minute online demonstration of time entry for temporary employees, and exempt and non-exempt staff members; HRS302 immediately follows and provides an overview of approval and maintenance functions available to managers.

HRS401: Position Data/Appointment Form

This course will cover the two major forms used by HR and Payroll to process HR records and payments: the Position Data and Appointment Form and the Additional Pay/Special Pay Form. The former is a staple form required when any change to a University position or employment record is requested; the latter is used to provide extra pay to faculty and staff for additional duties performed at the University.

Access: This course is required for anyone who will be completing or approving a Position Data/Appointment Form. There is no security form required to learn the procedures; however, the general FASIS Security Form must be completed if you will need to print forms from the FASIS system.

HRS402: Summer/Research Quarter Salary Form

This demonstration provides an overview for administrators who complete and process Summer/Research Quarter Salary forms. Instructions, best practices, and the approval process will be discussed, and a number of varying examples will be provided.

New users of the form are encouraged to attend, as well as those who would like a refresher. Numerous payroll staff will be on hand to provide personal assistance and answer specific questions.

HRD962- Crucial Conversations® for Managers

Audience: Northwestern supervisors and managers with at least one direct report.

Crucial conversations take place every day in our work. You know the type -- conversations where there are high stakes, differences of opinion, and strong emotion. The difference between mediocre and top performance lies not in strategies, hardware, or even in processes, but in how people handle those difficult conversations. At the heart of all problems in a team or organization are conversations that are either not being handled, or not being handled well.

Key Points

Identify the conversations that are keeping you from your desired results

Speak persuasively not abrasively, no matter the topic

Make it safe for others to share their honest opinions

Deal with people who either clam up or blow up

Gain control of your own emotional responses

Disagree without being disagreeable

Influence without exerting force

Improve teamwork, productivity and effectiveness

This practical and powerful two-day workshop is based upon a top-ten best-selling business book, Crucial Conversations.

HRD985- Managing Development Planning™

Audience: Northwestern supervisors and managers with at least one direct report.

This program helps managers get results from others and support their ongoing development by increasing their competence, ease and commitment in conducting career and development conversations with their employees. Learn new distinctions about development — beyond simple strengths and weaknesses — to help guide development plans with just the right emphasis for any employee.

Leadership & Management Part 1: Leadership and the Role of Management

This workshop carefully considers the transformation to a manager’s role and the responsibilities of effective management. Participants assess their leadership strengths and development opportunities. The advantages of a flexible and situation-based management style are discussed. The foundation for the entire series will be set through a leadership model.

The first part of this workshop provides practical tools to navigate the University’s seven-step hiring process, help better predict performance, and hire great talent. In the second part of the day, participants learn how to set up both new and existing employees for success using the University’s Performance Excellence process and manage performance throughout the year. Avoiding performance problems in the first place are the key lessons in this session, with some discussion on what to do when performance gets off track.

Leadership & Management Part 3: Managing Development Planning™

This program helps managers get results from others and support their ongoing development by increasing their competence, ease and commitment in conducting career and development conversations with their employees. Learn new distinctions about development — beyond simple strengths and weaknesses — to help guide development plans with just the right emphasis for any employee.

Leadership & Management Part 4: Managing Up/Interacting With Change

Managing Up: A Partnership Involving Expectations, Success, and Continuous Improvement for You and Your Boss

A harmonious, productive workplace relationship with your manager is one of the most important factors in your job satisfaction and success. If you work well and communicate effectively with your boss, you’re more likely to remain at your organization and sustain your success there. This highly interactive workshop can help you learn how and why.

Interacting with Change

In this half-day workshop for managers, attendees will learn: how to educate employees about change more effectively, what behaviors to model for your own staff in times of transition, and how to calm fears and encourage adoption of change.

Interacting with Change provides a lively, interactive demonstration and discussion of the issues involved in communicating and modeling change – with emphasis on the specific actions managers can take to help calm fears, create buy-in, and smooth the path through transition.

Specially trained professional actors, called Interactors℠ (professional actors with special training in interactive learning situations) present realistic workplace encounters - the kind of situations change agents face every day. Participants practice transition management skills by coaching the Interactors, experimenting with ways to improve the conversations shown. A Workplace Interactors facilitator leads discussion and clarifies the necessary behaviors. Everyone gets to see what works and what doesn’t, right on the spot.

It’s an engaging experience in which participants see their own workplace issues brought to life.

The facilitator and Interactors present and demonstrate the learning points. It’s all live, not on video.

Leadership & Management Part 5: Building Strong Teams

A leader has many jobs; among them is included the responsibility to help team members build strong working relationships with one another. Because a leader sets the tone for a cooperative and positive work environment, this session will answer the following questions: How do I get my team moving together in one direction? How can I foster trust and collaboration? How can my team make decisions in an effective and efficient way? How can I help the team surface and resolve conflicts? How can I promote the values of diversity and inclusion? This highly interactive session will help you to: navigate the phases of team development; resolve team conflicts; set your team up for success; model and embrace diversity; and practice inclusion.

Leadership & Management Part 6: Dealing with Performance Problems & Taking Leadership to the Next Level

The successful management of people who haven’t been getting the job done is often the biggest challenge for leaders. Personal problems, emotional difficulties, and poor attitudes can affect performance. The Dealing with Performance Problems half-day workshop helps managers to effectively diagnose the cause of a problem and take constructive action. Special attention is given to employee discipline and coaching in turn-around situations. University policy and resources are also considered.

In the Taking Leadership to the Next Level final session of the series, participants get an opportunity to come back together and discuss what insights they’ve had and skills they’ve acquired throughout the series. It’s a time to ask questions and get assistance about how to take those skills to the next level and transfer learning back on the job. It’s a celebration! This workshop is held in the afternoon following Dealing withPerformance Problems.

HRD550- Performance Excellence for Employees: What, Why and How

In this informal workshop, employees learn how to get the most from participating in the Performance Excellence Process. Discussions and exercises focus on two key responsibilities:

Key Points

Working with your manager to set goals for your work and your professional development

Discussing progress with your manager during the year

*Performance Excellence for Employees is offered as part of New Employee Orientation Part 2. If you are registered for or are planning to register for NEO Part 2, you do not need to attend this session.

HRD560- Performance Excellence for Managers I: Initiating the Process

In this highly interactive workshop, managers learn how to initiate the University's Performance Excellence Process and receive valuable guidelines and tools. Participants are asked to bring copies of the formal descriptions of their jobs and of those of the employees they directly supervise. Discussions and exercises focus on the first four of five key leadership responsibilities:

Campus Security Authorities (CSAs) have an important role in complying with the Clery Act, which was enacted to help create a safer University community. Completing the online training module will help CSAs better understand their federally mandated crime reporting responsibilities, how timely reporting of crimes allows the University the opportunity to review whether or not a community Crime Alert should be issued and assists in maintaining accurate crime data.

﻿The following CSA training administrators are responsible for providing CSA training login credentials for the designated areas. If you have questions or think you are a CSA and need to be provided access to the CSA online training program, contact the appropriate CSA training administrator.

DCFS Training for Mandated Reporters (Online)

In compliance with the Illinois Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, all University personnel are required to report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).

All employees who have regular contact with children through their affiliation with Northwestern are strongly encouraged to take the DCFS Online Training for Mandated Reporters, which is available anytime and takes 60-90 minutes to complete. Employees will need to register for an account on the DCFS training page upon their first visit to the training module.

HRD780- FERPA Training (Online)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”) defines student educational records, outlines students’ rights to access the records and review their contents, and governs who, in addition to students, may access the information and under what circumstances. FERPA also governs how Northwestern University must maintain student records.

HRD500- Better Business Grammar and Usage

Their tone and content may be serious, but letters, memos, e-mail messages, proposals, and reports with grammatical or punctuation errors won't be taken seriously. In this two-part workshop, participants learn how to avoid embarrassing mistakes in everyday business correspondence by getting a comprehensive, confidence-building review of the basic rules of grammar, capitalization, word usage, sentence structure, and punctuation.

HRD520- Writing Difficult Messages

Rejecting an applicant, denying a request, issuing an apology, or responding to a complaint can be delicate. A masterfully written letter or memo can build goodwill or, at the very least, minimize negative feelings. This workshop will teach successful ways to approach difficult correspondence and communicate bad news tactfully.

At the least, poorly written letters, memos, and e-mail message waste time and cause miscommunication. At worst, they are not read at all. This workshop will teach participants to organize and write strong, action-oriented business correspondence to get the reader's attention and the desired results.

HRD540- Proofread Like a Pro

Proofreading is more than just rereading what has been written. Good proofreaders can identify mistakes and improve the quality of writing even under tight deadlines. By using numerous in-class exercises, this workshop will teach you proven tips and techniques to perfect your documents. You will learn how to:

HRD545- Writing Compelling Employee of the Year Nominations

Is there someone in your department who goes above and beyond his or her normal duties, is dedicated and effective, and deserves to be recognized? Has he or she worked full time at Northwestern for three or more continuous years? If you've answered yes to both those questions, then this class is for you. In one lunch-time session, you will learn how to write an Employee of the Year Nomination that is both specific and meaningful.

HRD565- Writing for the Web: Intermediate

If you know the basics of web writing but need some assistance on a particularly thorny page or section from your site, this workshop is for you!

In a small-group setting, you will receive suggestions and work through problems facing your online content. You will also hone your editorial skills by assessing and providing suggestions for the online content examples submitted by fellow workshop participants.

Prior to the workshop, participants will submit up to three webpages for instructor and group review. The submissions must be from a University-related site. If you submit more than one web page for review, please note that additional pages will be assessed as time allows.

HRD575- Developing a Content Strategy for your Website

This workshop-style course is an introduction to Web Content Strategy. It guides participants through the critical step of planning a site's identity, voice and tone. After reviewing strategies for developing these messaging goals, we will do a series of fun hands-on activities to create tools, such as an identity statement and voice and tone guidelines. If possible, attend this course with other members of your team!

HRD580- Document Design: Make the Most of Your Message

A well-designed document is more than just pleasing-it is easier to read, understand, scan and review. This workshop will help you organize information and design your letters, memos, e-mail messages and reports so that you will be able to make your point more skillfully and effectively. You will learn how to:

HRD615- Managing Up: A Partnership Involving Expectations, Success and Continuous Improvement for You and Your Boss

A harmonious, productive workplace relationship with your manager is one of the most important factors in your job satisfaction and success. If you work well and communicate effectively with your boss, you’re more likely to remain at your organization and sustain your success there. This highly interactive workshop can help you learn how and why.

Key Points

Get expert tips on the best ways to approach your manager

Quickly determine and clarify your manager’s expectations

Learn to “give your boss feedback” about things that are sensitive

Bring your best to your workplace relationship with your supervisor (and get his/hers in return)

Key Points

HRD630- Effective Presentation Skills for the Nervous & Novice

This foundation-level, one-day presentation skills workshop will help you manage your nerves and get your presentations started on the right foot. Through an interactive process in which skills are introduced and practiced, you'll work on your own real-life presentation and learn how to:

Manage nervousness and control your racing thoughts

Engage listeners in a comfortable, flexible, conversational process

Build your confidence

Be clear and concise

Introduce your presentations clearly and concisely

Think on your feet

Throughout the class, you will work on your own real-life presentation. This workshop uses video-recorded exercises and private video review to help you identify and develop skills you need to succeed.

Who Should Attend:

This workshop is designed for those with little presentation experience and those who suffer from a great deal of nervousness. Job-seekers will also find this session beneficial because skills can be easily transferred to job interviews.

HRD632- Mastering Your Presentations

This two-day comprehensive workshop is interactive and realistic. It builds the skills you need to manage with confidence all aspects of the presentation process. Throughout, you will work on your own real-life presentation. Taught by two instructors, this workshop uses video-recorded exercises and private instructor-led video review to help you develop skills you need to succeed. You’ll learn how to:

HRD645- Getting Things Done®

Are you experiencing a constant deluge of email and phone calls? Do your daunting projects seem impossible to complete? Is the avalanche of incoming information and outstanding action items keeping you awake at night? This full-day Getting Things Done® Essentials workshop will provide tools and tips for implementing an improved work-life management system that can transform uncertainty into stress-free productivity.

Workshop participants will receive a copy of David Allen’s bestseller Getting Things Done and several practical resources for future success using the GTD methodology.

HRD650- Project Management Essentials

This workshop will help both new and experienced project managers review ways to produce a realistic and manageable project timeline. Participants learn the concepts and processes which can be applied to setting project goals, identifying project deliverables, and effectively estimating and measuring progress.

Key Points

HRD655- Certified ScrumMaster Training

In this highly interactive two-day workshop, participants will begin the process of identifying when Scrum-based project management is appropriate over traditional project management. Participants will also explore ways to solve complex problems using the flexible Scrum methodology.

Key Topics:

ScrumMaster vs. Project Manager

Identifying Scrum-appropriate projects

Overview of Scrum and agile fundamentals

Implementing Scrum team roles and responsibilities

The workshop will prepare participants for the Certified ScrumMaster assessment and reveal the impact of Scrum on complex project/product development. Whether participants are already practicing Scrum, interact with Scrum teams or are faced with complex project/product development, this class will sharpen their ability to more efficiently manage projects. Participants will work on a real project in class, participate in Scrum ceremonies and assume a Scrum role on a development team. Participants should come prepared to explore the practice of Scrum, why it works and how it could impact their work environment.

After the workshop, participants will need to complete an online assessment if they wish to pursue the Certified ScrumMaster designation. Participants will also have complimentary access to:

Two year membership to the Scrum Alliance ($50 value)

6-month access to a Scrum planning and implementation tool for themselves and their team members (a value of $30 per person)

Several job aids, sprint planning cards, and a workbook/reference guide

Basic familiarity with agile/Scrum is recommended, but not required. This course also offers 14 PMI PDU’s.

HRD660- Grace Under Pressure

*The cost of Grace Under Pressure is funded by the Office of Human Resources Work/Life Division. A cancellation no-show fee of $225 applies to all registrations.*

It's that sort of day.

The phone is ringing off the hook. You're put on the spot in a meeting. All the problems are getting dumped in your lap.

You can feel yourself becoming reactive. You know you're not thinking clearly, that you're not being effective, but you don't know what to do. How can you turn a bad situation around?

“Grace Under Pressure” offers new tools for remaining calm, focused and open-minded during difficult encounters – real physical techniques that counteract what our bodies do during stress.

Many of these new approaches come from recent brain research.

In this lively, memorable half-day workshop, you'll go far beyond theory. You'll practice these techniques and make them your own, ready to put to use the next morning – or even on the way home that night.

HRD675- Interacting with Customers

Customer service has become more important than ever, but it’s also harder to do well. No wonder: everyone is stressed, and there’s so little time to get things right.

How can you determine what your customers need, help them find solutions, and send them off happy – even on those days when nothing seems to work?

“Interacting with Customers” will give you tools to create an outstanding customer experience for all the people you interact with. And since the University environment has its own special considerations, you’ll have opportunities to practice your new approaches in realistic, Northwestern-style situations.

HRD960- Crucial Conversations®

Crucial conversations take place every day in our work. You know the type -- conversations where there are high stakes, differences of opinion, and strong emotion. The difference between mediocre and top performance lies not in strategies, hardware, or even in processes, but in how people handle those difficult conversations. At the heart of all problems in a team or organization are conversations that are either not being handled, or not being handled well.

Key Points

Identify the conversations that are keeping you from your desired results

Speak persuasively not abrasively, no matter the topic

Make it safe for others to share their honest opinions

Deal with people who either clam up or blow up

Gain control of your own emotional responses

Disagree without being disagreeable

Influence without exerting force

Improve teamwork, productivity and effectiveness

This practical and powerful two-day workshop is based upon a top-ten best-selling business book, Crucial Conversations.

HRD965- Transitioning From Peer to Manager

One of the most difficult career transitions can occur when one assumes management responsibility over a set of former peers. Overnight, the ground rules change and a variety of conflicts and challenges can emerge. This half-day workshop is designed to help address the boundary issues that crop up, and the competition that sometimes lingers long after one is promoted. We will discuss the best way to prepare for some of these potential problems, and will help participants deal with any unique situations they may have encountered as they try to establish the right tone for their leadership.

HRD975- Positioning Yourself for a Leadership Role

This highly engaging and interactive half-day workshop is designed for Northwestern employees contemplating their first supervisory position. The path to management is not for everyone and this program will help participants evaluate both their interest and aptitude for taking on leadership responsibilities. Further, we will discuss a set of career strategies that build visibility, gain support and establish credibility. Participants will engage in a set of exercises designed to simulate some of the challenges of supervising others, and will draw on this to design a personal development plan.